Keeping A Promise
by montez
Summary: He promised he'd come back for her and nothing was going to stop him from doing just that. (My fill-in for the episode with Steve and Lucy)
1. Chapter 1

Keeping a Promise

By: Montez

Disclaimer: Still don't own, never will

_A/N: Been a while, thought I'd try a short story. I haven't seen too many of the new season episodes (wasn't thrilled with the whole 'mom's still alive' storyline). The episode with Steve and the little girl being taken hostage got my attention, my major problem with it was the end where he promised to come back for her and they didn't show that (yes I know Chin had her, but they made a big deal about her not wanting him to go and him promising) I just felt that should have been included, plus you know me I need a little more angst-so here is my attempt to fill in the gap I felt they left, hope you enjoy-Montez_

Running through a jungle with someone shooting at him was nothing new to Steve, it had happened more times than he wanted to remember, but this time was different, this time he didn't have a highly trained team with him, he had a scared ten-year old little girl. Next to Grace, Lucy was probably the bravest little girl he'd ever met and the trust in her eyes as she looked at him throughout this whole terrifying ordeal nearly took his breath. He'd actually felt his heart skip a beat when her small arms latched onto his neck when he was trying to tell her he needed her to hide and she begged to stay with him. He looked into that little girls face and swore he would come back for her, that she would be safe.

Then he did one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do, he hid that little girl in one of the thicker bushes along the trail and walked away, knowing a man with an automatic was chasing them, but he had to keep her safe and the man would come after him, he would make sure of that. When the bullets started flying again, he ran, leading the man away from Lucy's hiding place.

When the man caught up to him at the stream, he had a moment where he feared not for himself, but for Lucy. No one knew where she was and he had told her to not move until he got back to her. Staring at the gunman he hoped Danny had managed to get out of that storage shed and get help, his mind flashed back to Danny and the moment Ron had shot his partner, yeah it was only in the arm, but a bullet in a body, especially the body of his best friend was enough that McGarrett knew if the man hadn't been shot by his double-crossing partner, that Steve may have taken him out himself, then terrorizing Lucy throughout this whole ordeal had sealed the man's fate in Steve's book. But now it was the new threat that stood before him, holding him at gun point, the gun to the face was a shock, but it was better than a bullet, so he stalled as his foggy mind tried to work out a plan. That's when he saw movement behind the gunman, a slight movement that slowly materialized into his wounded partner that he'd last seen as Steve had locked Danny in that shed. A gunshot rang out and the gunman splashed into the water near Steve's feet, it was over.

Danny's "you alright?" barely registered as his mind flashed to Lucy.

"Where's Lucy?" Steve climbed out of the water, stumbling slightly as his vision grayed slightly, but he recovered and Danny didn't notice.

"She's safe, Chin's with her." Danny replied as Steve moved quickly back toward the girl, "Hey slow down, she's safe."

"I promised her…" Steve could feel a pull in his side as his vision grayed again, but ignored it taking a shuttered breath, as he kept moving, "I promised her I'd come back for her."

Silence settled over the two, Danny knew how his friend was; he knew the other man would not stop until he saw that the little girl was indeed safe with his own eyes. He noticed his partner stumble a couple times, but wrote it off as the Steve's quick pace and the uneven ground they were covering, plus the adrenaline dump from being up all night, running around the jungle being held at gunpoint.

Several moments passed until Chin came into view, the older man turning quickly, gun raised until he recognized Danny and Steve, "Lucy!" Steve's voice shouted out as he ran the last couple yards.

"Steve!" the little girl yelled as she ran from behind Chin toward the SEAL who was now kneeling, his arms wrapping around the little girl, holding her nearly as tight as she was holding onto him.

Danny could see the small girl's body shaking slightly, the sobs heard over the quiet of the jungle, "You came back" He heard her whisper into Steve's neck.

"Told you I would, you were so brave, I'm so proud of you." Steve said back softly.

For a moment Danny couldn't help but chuckle at the memory of the man before him and a time when the Navy man was not good around kids, but Grace had softened up McGarrett and now, now there was no hesitation at all as the taller man stood, pulling the little girl up with him. Steve stumbled slightly, hissing as Lucy's legs wrapped around his waist, "Hey, you okay?" Danny asked again, glancing at Chin, noticing the older man caught the reaction as well.

"Fine." Steve's tone was clip as he started back down the trail, "We need to get Lucy checked out and out of this damn jungle".

Danny had heard that tone before; he liked to call it Steve's 'Commander' tone. So Danny and Chin fell in behind Steve as they watched the little girl's head remain buried in the taller man's neck.

Conservation officers, police and paramedics met them as they entered the staging area; Lucy's parents had been brought up to the site by HPD and raced toward Steve as he neared the ambulance. "Oh God, Lucy!" the girl's mother yelled as the child turned in Steve's arms and reached for her parents.

"Thank you…thank you…" The girl's father continuously said to McGarrett.

"She's okay, but she should be checked out at the hospital." Steve motioned toward the ambulance as a medic quickly brought a blanket over to wrap around the little girl.

As her parents and the medic started toward the ambulance, Lucy yelled and pushed herself out of her mother's arms, the blanket dropping to the ground, "STEVE!" she ran back toward the man she now trusted more than anyone.

Again McGarrett knelt and the little girl's arms encircled his neck, "It's okay now sweetheart, it's over…you go with the paramedics and your parents and get checked out."

"What about you?" Lucy hiccupped, fresh tears trailing through the dirt on her face.

"I'm fine sweetheart, I'll meet you at the hospital okay, I have to make sure Grace's daddy is okay…" Steve glanced back at Danny, who was starting to notice the unhealthy paleness his partner was starting to sport, "Remember his arm, I have to make sure the rest of the girls took care of him so all of you get your first aid patches, okay? You go on I'll see you in a little while." Steve kept his voice as calm as he could considering his heart was nearly beating out of his chest and his breath was coming quicker than he'd like as his vision wavered again. He felt the crash coming and needed Lucy safely away; she'd been traumatized enough for a life-time.

Lucy nodded and kissed his cheek before turning back to her parents, who quickly got her into the back of the ambulance, another thank you being shouted as the doors closed and the vehicle started to move down the trailhead.

Steve stayed on his knees as he watched the rig disappear, it was Danny's voice that broke through the fog in his head, "Let's get you up and out of here, you're looking a little worse for wear." Chin was standing beside McGarrett as Danny knelt in front of their team leader.

It was a barely whispered "I can't" that caught Danny off guard as Steve's pale face finally looked at him.

"You can't what?" Fear spiked through Danny, what had he missed, something was wrong with his partner, but he'd given him a quick once over as they were making their way back to the staging area, then it all started to click; the stumbles from the normally agile man, the hiss when Lucy wrapped her legs around him, and now, the nearly translucent complexion looking at him, "Steve?"

"Get up…" Steve's voice barely a whisper as he pitched forward, Danny just catching him, Chin quickly joining the blond man's efforts to keep a now unconscious McGarrett from going face first in the dirt.

"WE NEED HELP HERE!" Chin shouted as he and Danny got Steve laid flat. It was then that Chin noticed what Steve's over-shirt and backpack has been hiding, "Danny…", red covered the older man's hand.

"Damn, stupid, stubborn son of a …" Danny growled out as he took Steve's lax face in his hand, "Steve…Damn it, open your eye's!" Danny was quickly pulled back as paramedics swarmed around the injured leader of Five-O.

"Gun-shot, left side…looks like the bullet is still inside…we need to get him out of here." The older medic relayed as he and his partner quickly secured the unconscious man for transport.

"I'm coming with him." Danny followed closely as they loaded his partner, then climbed into the back before either medic could comment.

"I'll meet you at the hospital." Chin called out, closing the doors and watching as the lights and sirens activated, the ambulance quickly making its way out of the valley.


	2. Chapter 2

Keeping a Promise  
Chapter 2  
Disclaimer: see chapter one

_A/N: WOW, I knew you guys were amazing, but just WOW. The reviews have been wonderful, the welcome back amazing. To quote Sally Field, "You like me, you really like me." Thank you all so very much for all the wonderful reviews, the encouragment has been fantastic, I just don't know what to say. This chapter is short (and yes a cliffy) but I wanted to give you all something before I got distracted with Christmas. I hope to have another chapter soon, got the idea for the next one rolling around in my head, just need to filter it out through my fingertips. Hope it works and yes, at least a couple more chapters are in the works, I can already visualize how I want this to end-so I hope to have it all together soon. Again Thank You all for the wonderful reviews and hope you enjoy this next chapter-Montez_

The last time Danny had seen his partner strapped to a gurney was during the case involving the Russian diplomat, when both Steve and the suspect had been hit by a car as the man tried to escape. The stillness, in those few minutes, of his normally almost hyper partner had been some the scariest minutes of his life, but at least by the time Steve reached the hospital he had been conscious and trying to give orders. This time…this time the stillness remained, the translucent complexion making Danny's chest clinch as his eye's jumped from the heart monitor on the wall of the ambulance, showing an erratic, but beating heart, to his partner's chest to makes sure it was still moving as hitched breaths slipped in and out of is injured friend's body.

Time seemed to drag and go fast, if that was possible, and before Danny realized it the doors to the ambulance were being jerked open, medical personal swarming his friend as the gurney was pulled from the back. Williams jogged to keep up, but was stopped at the trauma room door by the nurse, "We'll take care of him." The words were meant to comfort, but comfort was not to be had by the Jersey native. Unconsciously rotating his injured arm Danny slowly made his way down the hall, closer to the nurse's station but close enough to the trauma doors to see when his friend was moved.

"Danno!" Danny turned when he heard the familiar shout of his little girl's voice, somewhat surprised to still see Grace, Rachael trailing a few paces behind her, at the hospital. He knew all the girls had been taken in to be checked out as a precaution.

"Hey Monkey…what are you still doing here?" Danny looked Grace over as he pulled back slightly from her hug, glancing at Rachael to make sure nothing was wrong with his little girl that he had missed.

"I wanted to wait for you and Uncle Steve and Lucy. I got to see Lucy when they brought her in, her mom and dad are with her…" Grace leaned in slightly, "I think Lucy really likes Uncle Steve now." The hint of a smile crossed the dark-haired girl's face, not realizing the gravity of the situation that her father was having to deal with, "Where is Uncle Steve? Lucy keeps asking."

Danny looked up at Rachael, though the woman knew how to make his life hell, he saw a hint of concern as his hollow expression finally registered on the woman's face, "Daniel?"

Grace looked between her parents a moment, she knew that tone from her mother, then looking closely at her father she saw the deep-set worry lines, the exhaustion and hint of fear on his face, "Danno, where's Uncle Steve?"

Kneeling back down he placed his hands on Grace's arms, "Grace, Uncle Steve got hurt protecting Lucy…the doctors are checking him out right now."

"He's going to be okay right?" Grace searched her father's face; she was good at reading him, better than he realized, but before he could answer the trauma room doors burst open, a gurney with several medical personal around it exited the room, heading toward the elevators. A flash of black hair could be seen as it turned into the hallway, but what nearly took Danny's breath was nurse who was squeezing the small balloon that was attached to the intubation tube that was now down Steve's throat, "UNCLE STEVE!" Grace shouted as her small body attempted to take off after the injured man.

Danny grabbed his daughter, pulling her close as a small cry escaped. His eye's transfixed on the moving mass of people until they disappeared in the elevator, then glancing up at Rachael, whose hand was over her mouth, before tightening his hold on his now shaking daughter whispering the words, "He'll be okay…" As much to comfort himself as it was to comfort Grace.

A few seconds passed between the time the elevator doors closed and Danny hearing a voice behind him, "Detective Williams?" Turning Danny saw Lucy's father standing a few steps behind them, his eye's going between the elevator and Danny.

"How's Lucy?" Danny straightened up, trying to put the scene he'd just witnessed out of his head a moment, his hand still holding Grace close to his side as the young girl tried to compose herself.

The question seemed to bring the younger girl's father out of his trace, "Lucy's going to be okay, the doctors said she was slightly dehydrated, exhausted and had a few scraps and bruises, they want to keep her until tomorrow morning as a precaution, but thanks to Commander McGarrett and you she should be just fine. Was that…" The man glanced back down the now empty hall, "was that Commander McGarrett? Is he alright? He seemed okay before…" The man knew he was rambling slightly, everything he had gone through, that his daughter had gone through still weighing heavily.

Danny let a nervous, hollow chuckle escape as he ran a hand through his slightly disheveled hair, "Yeah, that's what we thought too…" Williams pinching the bridge of his nose before looking back at Lucy's father, then to Rachael, "Rach, why don't you take Grace to visit Lucy a minute," Danny then knelt down to his daughter, "Grace, don't tell Lucy about Uncle Steve just yet, I need to talk to the doctor and then her dad and me will come and talk to you both, I just don't want to scare Lucy right now, okay."

Grace wiped her hand over her face, trying to remove the traces of the tears that had slipped free at seeing a man she had grown very fond of being hurt, "Okay" Was the girl's short answer as she turned to take her mother's hand, heading to her friends room.

Watching his own daughter heading down the hallway Danny looked at Lucy's father, "Did Lucy tell you about the man who started shooting at her and Steve when they tried to get away?"

The younger man nodded, "Yes, she said Commander McGarrett took her hand and pulled her close as they were running, trying to keep her in front of him, then he had her hide and made the guy chase him away from her, she said she kept hearing gunshots, but didn't move until Lt. Kelly found her and showed her his badge."

"We'll apparently one of those rounds hit Steve…but he didn't say anything once I found him, his only focus was to get back to Lucy because he had promised her he'd come back for her and I can tell you from experience if Steve says he's going to do something, then he WILL do it no matter what. It wasn't until after Lucy was leaving in the ambulance that we knew anything major was wrong." Danny looked back down the hall toward the lifts, "Now if I could just get a damn doctor to come and tell me how my partner is…" Danny's frustration was evident as now both hands slipped through his hair.

"He was carrying her." Lucy's father whispered as if in thought.

"What?" Danny turned, looking at the dark-haired man.

"Commander McGarrett, he was carrying Lucy when you all came into camp." The man looked at Danny like it should have been plain, what he was trying to say.

"He carried her the whole way once he got back to her, Steve wouldn't let her go until he gave her to her mother." Danny replied, eyeing a doctor who was making his way down the hall toward them.

"He had a bullet in his body, but he still carried my daughter back through the jungle, all the way to where we were?" It was like Lucy's father couldn't comprehend that someone who was apparently as injured as the Commander seemed to be, would have, or could have done what he had done.

Before Danny could respond to the young father's realization, a realization that Danny had known about for a long while now, that no matter what Steve follows through on making sure other's are safe before himself.

The doctor came to a stop next to the two men, "Detective Williams?"

"How's Steve?"


	3. Chapter 3

Keeping a Promise  
Chapter 3  
Disclaimer: see chapter one

Four hours and forty-seven minutes, three minutes later than the last time he'd looked at his watch and the clock on the wall. For nearly five hours now Danny had been sitting, pacing and hassling nurses in a vain attempt to find out how his bone-headed, self-destructive, more heart than brains sometimes, partner was. Danny's pacing had become so much that he was given his own waiting room where Chin and Kono had come and gone a couple times. Both trying to wrap up everything, finding out all the details of the diamond heist that had started this whole nightmare that unintentionally involved a group of ten-year old girls, their troop leader and two, off-duty, members of the Governor's task force. Leaving both said members with gunshot wounds, some very scared little girls and a grateful troop leader who had, at one point, questioned her own wisdom of allowing Commander McGarrett to tagalong on the overnight camping trip. Now ever grateful that he had been there and that he had been able to keep Lucy safe.

"Thought you could use this…" Madeline said softly offering the blond man a cup of coffee, catching Danny in one of the moments he had sat down, his head in his hands. "Don't worry, it's the good stuff we keep in the nurse's lounge."

The dark-haired woman took a seat next to Grace's father, "How's your arm?" Madeline had made sure Williams' arm was looked at after all the commotion of discovering Commander McGarrett had been injured and rushed into surgery.

"It's fine…" Danny said tiredly, taking a sip of the third cup of coffee he'd had in as many hours, "Thanks", he motioned with the cup.

"Any word yet?" The younger woman asked, though she was a nurse, she'd been given the next couple days off, but had stayed around the hospital to make sure all the girls, especially Lucy, were going to be okay.

"No…" Standing Danny started pacing again, "What is taking so damn long…I mean he walked back on his own, carrying Lucy…" His thoughts trailed as he knew the man he worked with could be missing a limb and still not acknowledge it until his 'mission' was completed and then he'd only notice once his body shutdown on him, just like this time.

Danny's mind flashed back nearly five hours to the doctor in the emergency room; blood-loss, dangerously low blood pressure, compromised respiratory function, possible complication because of the bullet still being inside Steve's body and the chances of infection. How had a simple camping trip turned into a life and death scenario?

At the five-hour point on the dot Lucy's father entered the room, bring with him two cups of coffee, sitting one down on the table when he saw one still in Danny's hand. "Still no word?" the younger man asked.

"No, Lucy doing okay?" Danny asked, again looking at his watch and clock on the wall.

"She's sleeping, Grace's mother let her stay with Lucy, I think that helped. My wife is keeping watch over the girls, she wanted me to come and check on the Commander, it took Lucy some time to calm down after we told her what happened. Your daughter kept telling her that 'Uncle Steve' would be okay because her Danno said so and that you never lie to her." Lucy's father watched the blond detective as he sat heavily in a chair near the door.

"I just hope I'm right, it just seems…" Danny's voice sounded hollow, weary.

At the five-hour and ten minute mark a green-scrub clad woman walked into the room, "Detective Williams?"

Danny was on his feet before the door closed behind the woman, Madeline touched his arm, "We'll be outside." She motioned toward herself and Lucy's father.

"No, stay…" Turning to look at the surgeon, "How's Steve doing?"

"Please have a seat," The middle-aged woman motioned toward the chairs, each person taking a seat as she took the one across from Danny. "Commander McGarrett made it through surgery, the bullet nicked the Commander's kidney and came to rest within the lower back muscle about four centimeters from his spinal cord." The Doctor paused at the look of panic that crossed Danny's face.

"What? Is he okay, it didn't hit the spine did it?" Williams' mind jumped to all the worst-case scenarios that could befall his extremely active friend, how would he tell Catherine? What about Steve's mother, the woman was in and out of his life, since he'd found her alive in Japan, would she even care? Danny was never really comfortable around the woman and what about Grace and Lucy? Those two little girls were both waiting on word about the man that had helped them both. Hell, what about him? What would Danny do if his partner was paralyzed?

The doctor's voice interrupted Danny's inner rambling. "No the spine doesn't appear to have been injured, the area around it is swollen which may cause some temporary weakness, but I don't see any lasting problems in that area, However we did have some difficulty keeping his blood-pressure stabilized, we are still working on replacing the blood loss and that should help in that area. My concern is the infection that has set up, the wound was left untreated for what appeared to be at least a couple hours, and from what I was told he did fall into one of the streams that run through the rainforest, there are many different bacteria that are present in those waters. We are doing everything possible, he is on some heavy-duty antibiotics but his temperature is extremely high and he appears to be having some difficulty coming out of the anesthesia."

Danny just looked at the woman, this was a lot to take in, blood-pressure problems, nicked kidney, infection and on top of it all his partner wasn't wanting to come out of his sedation. Danny's mind wanted to say 'what else could go wrong', but at this point he didn't want to tempt fate anymore than it had been messed with. "Can I see him?" Williams wanted to see his friend, needed to see his friend.

"We are keeping him in recovery until we can get a response to show he's coming out of the sedation, I can let you back for a couple minutes, then we will let you know when he is moved. He will go to the ICU for at least twenty-four hours, then we will see how the infection is progressing. I wish I had better news for you, I'll send a nurse in to escort you back." The doctor stood, shaking Danny's hand before leaving the detective with Lucy's father and Madeline.

"Detective Williams?" Madeline came over and knelt in front of the man who had let her dig a bullet out of his arm with no pain killers, helped get her and the girls in her charge out of the metal shed that would have become an unbearable oven once the sun had risen to it's highest point, then pushed through his own injury to go tracking through a jungle he knew absolutely nothing about in search for Lucy and his partner. His stubbornness had both impressed and infuriated her over those couple hours they were in the bush, but the man she was now knelling in front of looked every bit as scared and worried and any other family member of an injured, gravely ill person she had ever had to deal with working in the ER.

"I'm going to go and let my wife know about Commander McGarrett's condition." Lucy's father said softly to Madeline, taking in the worried form of the Five-0 detective.

It was the man's voice that brought Danny out of his worried thoughts, "Don't tell the girls, well not Grace…I'll come and talk to her after I see Steve."

"I won't, I hope everything works out. He saved my little girl, there is no way I can possibly thank him for that, but I want him to pull through so I can at least try." Lucy's father held out his hand, which Danny shook, giving a nod of gratitude before the younger man left the room.

A nurse entered a moment later, "Detective Williams, Dr. Erikson says you can visit with Commander McGarrett for a few minutes."

Madeline stood, as did Danny, she gave his good arm a gentle squeeze, "Everything will be okay." He nodded wordlessly, following the nurse toward the recovery area, to finally get a chance to see his partner.

_A/N: Yes another cliffy, sorry. Gonna try and get this story wrapped up in the next couple days; my mood went kind of dark that last couple days-I need focus-sorry for the delay, but hope you enjoyed this one.-Montez_


	4. Chapter 4

Keeping a Promise  
Chapter 4  
Disclaimer: See chapter one

_The sound of a gunshot caused his eye's to shoot open, panic filled him, adrenaline drove his reaction. He was running, the thick jungle brush slapping his face, seeming to cling to his moving limbs as if to keep him from his destination, the sound of the gunshot-Danny, the girls, Lucy, that's what his mind was screaming, how had he ended up so far from camp._

"_DANNY!" He yelled as he ran, desperate to find his friend, desperate to hear his friend's voice in response, but all that replied were the sounds of the jungle and an echoed laugh. The foliage was getting thicker as if created an impenetrable wall that refused to let him through, then with a last bit of strength he burst through, the campsite greeted him, "Danny!" he yelled again._

_Turning in a circle, taking in the apparently vacant are he heard a muffled cry that clinched his heart, it was the sound of a child, a little girl. Everywhere around him was evidence that the girls had been there, but now…he followed the sound, his gut twisting, his heart pounding. It was the shed, the corrugated metal shed he'd been ordered to lock the girls, Madeline and Danny in; Ron…Ron was the bastard who had shot his partner, the gunshot…_

_The sobbing became louder as he neared the door, the padlock flashing in the firelight. He grabbed a rock that lay against the building as smashed it against the metal object, once, twice, three times before it finally busted free, he quickly pulled open the door, a faint glow from a lantern illuminated the interior. The girls were all huddled in the furthest corner, surrounding something, their gazes not fixed on him, Madeline held a small shaking form in her arms, whispering softly against the dark-brown hair._

_His heart clinched tighter as he slowly approached the group, 'where's Danny?' his mind yelled out, finally reaching the circle. Bile filled his stomach, threatening to make its way upward, his legs became like jelly, his blood ran cold as he stared at the still figure the young children had surrounded, "No…" He whispered, his voice not coming any louder in its disbelief, "No…"_

_Then he watched as haunted, red-rimmed brown eye's looked up at him from the cradled hold of the younger woman, the utter look of devastation steeling his breath as the small girls words tore at his soul, "Why'd you let my Danno die?"_

_5050505050505050505050505050 50_

Danny had been sitting next to McGarrett's bed for nearly two days. Six hours in recovery, thirty-six in the ICU, eighteen in a private room provided by order of Denning. Rubbing his eye's Danny stood and moved toward the window, watching the world go by as he waited, waited for a fever to break, for a purposeful movement from the still man in the bed, not the uncontrollable shaking the fever was causing or the two seizures that had been caused by said fever.

Williams' mind went back to first seeing his best friend in the recovery room, it was only allowed a couple minutes, but those couple minutes nearly broke the blond man. His larger than life partner was hooked up to numerous pieces of equipment, many Danny only had passing knowledge about, he remembered hearing the nurse try to explain everything but all he could focus on was the tube down his partner's throat forcing air into his lungs, "Why's he on a vent?" Danny asked much quieter than his normally boisterous voice.

"With the Commander still not showing signs of coming out of sedation the doctor felt it best to keep him on the ventilator, as soon as he shows signs of waking it will be removed." The young nurse assured as she did a quick check of the injured man's vitals.

Unconsciously nodding Danny looked at everything hooked to Steve, heart monitor, IV lines, catheter lines with noticeably red liquid accumulating in the bag along the side of the bed; blood-pressure cuff activating giving off what even Danny knew was an unhealthy low reading. A soft beep drew Williams eye's to the nurse, "His temperature is still very high, measures are being taken to try and lower it. Commander McGarrett will be moved to the ICU from here, we will let you know when that will be. I'm sorry but you'll have to leave now."

Danny hated the idea of leaving his injured, vulnerable friend, not knowing when he'd be let back in to see him; since he was damn lucky they had let him come back while Steve was in recovery. Stepping to the side of the bed he took his friend's hand in his, giving it a squeeze, "You've got some very worried little girls waiting for you, so you better not make a liar out of me, I told them you'd be okay."

The Jersey natives mind came back to the present as the door opened to Steve's room and Grace came in, followed by Rachael. "Hey Monkey", Danny said, crossing the room, pulling his daughter into a hug.

"Is Uncle Steve any better?" Grace asked quietly, looking at the man on the bed.

"A little, his fever has come down some." Danny replied.

"I'll be back for Grace in a couple hours." Rachael said quietly before exiting the room.

Danny moved over and pulled the small tray table toward Grace, who had sat down near the window pulling out one of her school books, with a clear view of her father and her 'Uncle'. Silence had settled again as Williams continued his vigil over his friend and occasionally helped Grace with her work.

A mumbling was heard from the bed which had Danny on his feet, Grace just a step behind him, "Danny…" The name that escaped the unconscious man was barely a whisper but filled with anguish, "…no…Danny…Gracie…I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…" The muffled, broken sound followed by the escape of a single tear sent Danny's concern through the roof as he reached for his friends hand, he didn't know what dream or nightmare his friend was caught in, but he hoped his touch might ground his partner, but the moment their hands met Danny knew what was wrong.

"Grace, go get the nurse, hurry up honey." Danny tried to keep the fear at bay, they had told them this could happen, but with hours of his fever slowing coming down he had hoped they had weathered the worst Steve's injury and infection could throw at them, but apparently not.

"Daddy?" Grace's voice, the name used told Danny more than anything that the young girl had picked up on her fathers worry, fear.

"Tell the nurse his temperature is going up again." Knelling he looked into his daughter's brown eyes, "It'll be okay, just go get the nurse for me." Danny watched his little girl pull the wooden door open, hurriedly exiting to seek help. Turning back to his friend, retaking his hand as the man continued to mumble, tears slipping from his closed eyes Williams laid his other hand on Steve's sweat soaked hair, "You're not making this easy are you?" Just then Danny looked up, Grace and the nurse pushing the door open.

Thirty minutes had passed since Danny and Grace had been ushered out of Steve's room, the nurse immediately calling the doctor as Steve's temperature had again spiked to over 104. Again Danny was pacing as Grace sat in one of the chairs just down the hall from her Uncle's room, "He's going to be okay right?" She asked softly, her worried, tear-filled eyes meeting her father's blue ones.

Danny knelt in front of his daughter, "I hope so Monkey, but…" Danny ran his hand through his hair and over his face before pulling his scared little girl into his arms, "I don't know", he whispered out.

"Detective Williams", Danny turned to see Lucy and her family walking down the hallway toward them, a worried look on the young girl's parents faces as Williams stood, shaking the extended hand of Lucy's father, "Lucy insisted we come and visit the Commander today, is…is everything okay?" The dark-haired man took in the shaken expression of the detective before him, his heart clinching at what could be causing the look.

"Grace, I'm going to talk with Lucy's dad just a minute, we'll be right over there," Danny pointed to the nurse's station. Grace nodded as Lucy took the chair next to her, the girls immediately taking one another's hands, Lucy's mom sitting next to them.

Taking a deep breath as they reached the station, Danny looked at the younger man, "Steve still hasn't woken up completely and his temperature has gone up again, it's been over thirty minutes since the doctor went in and I don't know what's going on, I don't know if…" Danny hated showing weakness around anyone, especially someone he hardly knew, but the stress of the last few days, not really having time to process all that had happened before his best friend ended up fighting for his life, Danny's emotional state was starting to crack.

A doctor quietly approached the two men, "Detective Williams…" The middle-aged man glanced at the younger man who was standing next to the detective he'd come to know well over the last couple days.

"What's going on? I thought he was getting better." Williams' voice broke slightly, exhaustion starting to take over his mind, body and soul.

"I've ordered additional blood work and increased the dosage of the antibiotic, this happens sometimes an infection of this type is difficult to treat, we are adding a cooling blanket in hopes that will start to lower Commander McGarrett's body temperature, with an increase in the medication we should see some improvement within the next 12-24 hours." The doctor took in the man's weary appearance then glanced toward the children who sat a few feet away.

"And what if there is no improvement?" Danny asked.

The doctor reached out to touch the younger man's shoulder, "Let's give the medication more time, there is no sense in trying to borrow trouble that may never present itself, I'll be back to check on him in about two hours, the nurse will be taking his temperature every twenty minute." With that the older man left.

Making their way back toward Grace and Lucy, Danny explained what was going on, both girls insisted that they be allowed back into the room, glancing at Lucy's parents, who nodded, the five of them made their way back into Steve's room.

If it was possible the sick and injured man looked paler than before, a sheen of sweat coated his face and his cheeks gave a hint of pink letting any who saw him know he was battling an increasing fever. Danny and Lucy's parents watched at the two girls moved toward the bed, Grace taking one of her Uncle's hands, Lucy taking the other, "You came back for me, just like you promised. I promise I'll wait right here for you to come back again." Lucy's small voice whispered out.

_A/N: Okay another small cliffy, I was warned to not do this again so naturally I did it again _;-)_ -Montez_


	5. Chapter 5

Keeping a Promise  
Chapter 5  
Disclaimer: See chapter one

_Darkness surrounded him, he wasn't afraid of the dark, not since he was three-years old, but it wasn't so much the darkness that filled him with fear, it was the hopeless feeling that he had lost something very important and that terrified him._

"_No, I want to come with you."_

_The echo of a little girls pleading gripped his heart, his breathing increasing as he turned, willing his eye's to penetrate the darkness around him, the jungle had closed in around him, he could feel the foliage as it seemed to trap him in place, "LUCY!"_

_Lucy needed him, he had to protect her, she had been so scared but so brave through everything, but when the bullets started flying he knew he needed to hide her, he couldn't take the chance of her being hurt. She had begged to stay with him, but he promised he'd come back for her if she hid, but now he needed to find her._

"_LUCY!" He yelled again as he took off running through the darkness, an overwhelming desperation pushing him blindly forward, he had to find Lucy. He'd lost Danny, Grace's tear-stained face was burned into his mind, her broken words haunting his thoughts, but he still had a mission, still had a job to do, a promise to keep to a scared, blonde-haired little girl._

_His body was feeling heavy, vaguely reminding him of that week so many years ago that helped shape him into the man he became, that he thought he was. During his training he had honed the skills of repressing his feelings, of keeping others at arms-length, wholly trusting the men on his team, but never really forming bonds because of the work they did. Returning home had changed all that, though he was hard-pressed to say when, but he knew it had started when a blonde-haired detective with an obvious New Jersey drawl pointed a gun at him is his father's garage. In those tense moments something told him that this man was someone he could trust and he went with that feeling. That day a bond started, that forged a partnership, that forged a friendship that he never realized he needed in his life, but that was gone, Danny was gone, Grace would forever hate him for not saving Danny, but Lucy…Lucy had been caught in something that no child should ever have to be caught in and he needed to find her, save her._

_His vision wavered as he strained to see in the darkness, a faint light was ahead, his legs felt like lead, his chest hurt, his head hurt, his side hurt, he felt a chill rack his body as he ran while a fire seemed to blaze in his head. He was getting closer and closer to the light, silently praying that Lucy was there, but just before reaching the illuminated circle his legs betrayed him as they collapsed beneath him, he landed hard in a stream that he never saw coming, his side slamming into the outcropping of rocks, pain exploding through his mind, taking his breath._

_A noise caught his attention through the haze of pain, slowly he looked up and found a gun just inches from his face, a man dressed in black holding the weapon, the same man that had been chasing him and Lucy, the one he'd hidden her from. He felt fear fill him, this was it, he was alone, he had failed everyone that was counting on him, Lucy was hidden and no one knew where, "I'm sorry Lucy", he whispered out as a gunshot rang out._

_He involuntarily flinched at the sound, but instead of the pain of a bullet ripping through his body he felt a warmth engulf him, a warmth that dulled the pain he was already feeling, a warmth that stilled the chills that had become his constant companion, a warmth that seemed to unnaturally dull the fire in his head. Opening his eye's, that he didn't remember closing, his vision focused in on three figures standing before him; two a little further back, one within arms reach. _

_As his vision slowly cleared he could make out Danny and Grace standing behind a blonde-haired little girl in a bright yellow shirt, her hand extended toward his, "You came back for me, just like you promised. I promise I'll wait right here for you to come back again." _

"_Lucy" He whispered out, taking in her smile, her extended hand. His eye's drifted to Danny and Grace, Danny was whole, not the broken form he remembered from the shed, Grace's eyes were no longer red and puffy from the grief of her overwhelming loss, instead they were both smiling._

_Danny giving him a slight nod, "Time to come back to us don't you think?"_

_Steve felt his eye's sting as he again looked at Lucy, slowly raising his larger hand to encircle her tiny one. In that moment his mind exploded into a blinding-white, comforting, welcoming light that stole his consciousness…and he embraced it._

_505050505050505050505050_

The day stretched into evening, giving way to night. Danny had called Rachael telling her that Grace had begged him to stay at the hospital for the night, she reluctantly agreed when he informed her that Lucy and her family were also staying. Apparently the girls felt drawn to staying close to the sick commander who had taken a turn for the worse with the return of his high fever. Danny and Lucy's parents had tried to convince the girls that it might not be good for them to be there for so long, both sets of parents silently fearing that this complication may lead to an outcome none of them wanted and they didn't want the girls witnessing what could be Steve's final hours.

But the girls had be adamant, they both pulled out their arsenal of puppy-dog eye's, pleading voices and tears, informing their parents that Steve needed them and from Lucy her explaining that she had promised she'd stay, just like Steve had promised he'd come back for her. He didn't break his promise to her; she stated that she would not break her promise to him.

The nurse came in every twenty minutes, taking vitals; the temperature readings were not looking promising. Every two hours the doctor would return, checking for progress that refused to come. It was two o'clock in the morning when the doctor pulled Danny and Lucy's father into the hallway, "I think it might be a good idea to send the girls home."

Danny's heart clinched, was this doctor saying what he thought he was saying, "He's dying isn't he?" Saying the words out loud seemed to make it real and Williams hated himself for voicing them.

"The medication isn't working like we'd hoped and despite the cooling measures his temperature is continuing to climb, as it stands now his body could start shutting down within a matter of hours, I'm sorry." The doctor replied wearily, "We will continue our aggressive measures, but I believe it's best to start preparing yourselves, but especially the girls. I'll be back in a couple hours." With that the man left the two fathers in the hallway.

"I am so sorry Detective Williams." Lucy's father laid his hand on Danny's shoulder.

"It's Danny, you've spent most of the day with me in my friend's hospital room, I think it's time you called me Danny." Danny just didn't want to process what he'd been told, but knew he needed to figure out how he was going to tell Grace.

"What should we do about the girls? They are so invested in how the Commander is doing…" Lucy's father had never had to deal with a serious topic like this with his daughter. Yeah, she'd had a goldfish die when she was little, but this was so much bigger. This man had become her hero in their hours in the jungle, hell Commander McGarrett had become his hero for taking care of his daughter, then carrying her back to safety even as gravely wounded as he was.

Danny took a deep-breath, trying to contain his overwhelming emotions, "I've never lied to Grace, not about the important stuff, I'm going to tell her the truth and call her mother to come and get her, she doesn't need to be here." Lucy's father nodded, he would do the same with Lucy then ask her mother to take her home as well, he would stay at the hospital with Detective Williams…Danny, so the man didn't have to go through losing his best friend all alone.

_A/N: I know, I'm evil...final chapter coming later tonight-Montez_


	6. Chapter 6

Keeping a Promise  
Chapter 6  
Discliamer: See chapter one

_A/N: Well I'm 'Keeping a Promise' by giving you guys the final chapter tonight. I want to thank all of you for your support and your wonderful reviews, my mood slipped some over the last week or so and when that happens I either write a lot or I lose focus. This was one of the 'lose focus' slips, but your reviews and favorites kept me going until my focus came back. Chapter five was my mood slipping into my writing, this chapter was a bit of a struggle to get together, but I made it. I hope it is what you all expected and hoped for and again thank you all for your wonderful support!-Montez_

Two weeks…it had been two weeks since that fateful camping trip that had turned into a real-life horror story. Danny ran his hands over his face and through his hair as he looked out at the vast Pacific Ocean from the lanai of Steve's house. It had been a week since that horrible night when a doctor had pulled him and Lucy's father, Michael, into the hallway and told him his best friend was dying and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it, the medicine wasn't working, the cooling blankets weren't helping, they had been left to wait.

Closing his eye's his mind drifted back to that night, his heart still aching at the memory as the two fathers, along with Lucy's mother, Karen, brought the girls out into the hallway and did their best to explain what was happening to two very scared ten-year old girls. Grace had known something bad was happening when she had first looked at her father's face when he came back into the room, the sound of the door opening having woken her up from her chair next to Steve's bed, Lucy had been curled up in another chair on the opposite side, both girl's hands had stayed in contact with the unconscious man's hands since they had first entered the room.

"Daddy?", again the unfamiliar name that only came out when Grace was well and truly scared of something.

Lucy had followed her friend into the hallway with her parents, watching as Grace's father knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his, Lucy's heart clinched when her father did the very same thing. Silent communication between husband and wife let Lucy's mother know what was happening and she placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder, pulling her closer to her side.

"Grace, Lucy…we," Danny looked from the girls to Michael and Karen, then back, "We think it is best if you both tell Steve goodbye now and go home." Williams just could not seem to form the words to tell these to girls what was happening, even thought he'd told Michael that he never lied to Grace, this was so much harder than he ever imagined.

"What? We have to stay, I have to stay, I promised I'd stay until he came back." Lucy pleaded, not completely understanding why their parents wanted to send them home after saying they could stay.

Danny was always amazed at how quickly his daughter's mind worked, she was a lot like him in that way, she could figure out what was going on before she was actually told. "Uncle Steve's dying isn't he?" Her voice cracked, tears welled in her big brown eyes, in that moment Danny nearly broke.

Pulling her now trembling body into a tight hug, Danny whispered the answer, "Yes Monkey, he is." His own throat clogged as a sob escaped his little girl.

"No…" Lucy looked at her parents, at Grace in her father's arms. She'd heard what Grace asked, heard her father's reply, but it wasn't true, it couldn't be true. "No, I promised to wait for him to come back, he promised he'd come back and he did before, he told me he would see me here at the hospital…no you're lying…" Lucy jerked from her parent's hold, tears streaming down her face, forcefully pushing the heavy wooden door leading back to Steve's room open with more force than a ten-year old should possess.

"Lucy!" Michael called after his daughter, following her back into the room, Karen a step behind.

Danny pulled Grace up with him as he stood, her legs encircling his waist, her arms tightening around his neck, her head still buried in the crook of his shoulder as they quickly followed the others. The scene that greeted him was worse than he imagined, he saw the little blonde girl becoming nearly hysterical, she had raced back to Steve's side, her small hands grabbing his much larger one, "You came back for me! Why can't you come back now! I promised I'd stay, just like you promised me…you have to come back…you came back before, you have to come back now…it's not fair…I can't break my promise…don't make me break my promise…" Lucy's voice cracked at the end, her head leaning down on her hands, which held Steve's.

"Lucy, I'm sorry sweetheart, I'm so sorry…I know he doesn't want to let you down, but sometimes a person's body just can't fight anymore." Michael knelt next to his baby girl, his arms encircling her as she cried, understanding, but not why the man before her, the man who had saved her, who had come back for her, wasn't coming back now after she had promised to not leave him, how could he possible leave her.

"They have to make him better," she choked out as she turned into her father's arms, "they have to…" sobs finally overtaking her body.

"I'm sorry baby, I'm sorry." Michael lifted his daughter as her grip tightened, Lucy's mother moving closer, encircling her daughter as well, a heavy silence settling over the room as broken sobs from two little girls filled the stillness.

After a few minutes Lucy's family left the room, Danny didn't think they would leave without letting him know, but it gave him and Grace a moment alone with his partner, his best friend. Williams could never recall seeing someone look as bad as Steve looked at that moment, the flushed cheeks, the fever induced shivers that wracked his body. Danny had seen people die, but it was usually immediate, not since his grandfather had he watched someone he cared about succumb to their bodies' inability to fight an invading threat.

Danny hated to think he was giving up on his friend, but his heart ached as the weight of his distressed daughter still held close, her quiet sobs, her hitched breath reminded him this was really happening. Danny felt a lone tear slip past his defenses and didn't know what to do in this moment, but a part of him resolved to not completely give up fighting for his friend until Steve drew his last breath, so reaching over and taking his friends hand he looked at the slack face and said, "Time to prove these people wrong Steven, time to come back to us don't you think?"

A couple moments later Lucy and her parents returned to the room, Michael looking at Danny, silently letting him know that they were letting Lucy say her goodbyes before sending her home, Danny sat Grace down to do the same, he needed to call Rachael, but the girls needed their moment. Both girls stepped toward Steve's bed, retaking their spots on either side, both retaking the hand they had help onto throughout the night. However, the moment their small hands touched his, alarms started to sound from the machines surrounding Steve, medical personal flooded in as the parents pulled the screaming girls from the room.

A gentle squeeze on his shoulder brought Danny out of those dark thoughts of that night, looking up he met Michael's eyes, "You okay?" The two men had become friends over the last two weeks, not best buddies like Danny and …, but friends nonetheless.

"Yeah." Williams cleared his throat as his emotions were warring within him again, "Thanks for coming."

"Thanks for having us; Karen always wanted a place on the beach like this." Michael looked out across the small yard to the vastness that opened up just off the shore.

"Lucy doing okay?" Danny asked, looking out across the beach where he could see Lucy and Grace playing in the surf.

"A few nightmares, but that's expected I guess. Her pediatrician suggested having her talk to someone, her mother and I are seriously considering it, at least until the nightmares stop." Lucy's dad watched his little girl as she giggled, her and Grace racing up the beach away from the waves. "How's Grace?"

"She's doing better, being here is helping her a lot, it's good you could bring Lucy today, I think they both needed this." Danny said, taking a drink from the tea he had fixed earlier, alcohol wasn't on the menu today.

Both men were interrupted by a yell followed by a bellowing laugh that came from one of the chairs that sat at the sands edge, quickly followed by the squeals of the two girls who ran back toward the water, Grace with a pink bucket in hand, "That's not fair Gracie, you know I can't chase you right now!" Steve's voice sounded over the surf.

"I think that's why they did it." Danny said as he and Michael came to stand next to Steve's chair, the blonde man handing his best friend a fresh bottle of water and his medicine, "The doctor said you shouldn't be in the sun much while you're still on the antibiotics." Williams watched as Steve swallowed the pill, taking half the bottle of water with it.

"Yes, mom." Steve smirked.

"That's not funny, I've met your mother, remember…" Danny gave a mock shiver.

Steve just laughed before turning his attention toward Lucy's father, "Lucy doing okay? She told me she was having nightmares, I wish I could have done more to have kept her from getting taken." Steve was still carrying the guilt of not being able to stop Ron from taking them both.

"I think the fact she's getting to visit you here is what is helping her and I can't think of anything else you could have possible done, you kept my little girl alive, safe and brought her back to us despite your own injuries, I know I can never repay that." Michael held out his hand, McGarrett shaking it.

"Well you guys are welcome here anytime, it's good to see both of the girls smiling and laughing, though I think I'll owe them both a dunk in the ocean once I'm better after that little bucket incident." The last part was louder so the girls heard him, both just giggled again. "So when are the rest of them showing up?" Steve looked back at Danny, the entire troop had been invited over for a cookout now that Steve was on the mend and finally home.

The sound of car doors slamming heralded the arrival of the others, "Sounds like them." Michael said, making his way back across the yard and up the side of the house to help Madeline with the extras the other girls were providing.

Danny took a set in the chair next to Steve, "You scared the hell out of us, out of me, you know that right?"

"I'm sorry Danny; believe me the only thing that went as planned in that whole damn mess was getting Lucy home safe." Steve fell silent a moment, "I thought you were dead."

Williams was a little taken back by that statement, "What? I was up and walking just fine when that asshole had you lock us in that shed, you knew I was okay."

"I had a dream or something, I found you all in the shed, Grace was devastated and you…" Steve's voice cracked, it was rare for his emotions to be so close to the surface, but if pressed he'd blame it on the meds.

Danny reached over and gripped his friends arm tight, "I'm right here, I'm fine, you're getting there, all the girls are safe, you did good partner." Steve met Danny's eyes, giving him a slight smile as he tried to reign in his emotions, hearing the approach of the rest of Grace's friends.

It was a flash of colorfully dressed little girls that ran past the two men, joining Grace and Lucy in the shallow surf, loud laughing filling the air, neither man could help but laugh themselves as the girls splashed one another.

"So Commander how are you feeling?" Madeline came around from behind the chairs, wearing yellow Capri's with a matching floral shirt, hat and sunglasses.

"I'm doing much better, how are you Madeline?" The troop leader had visit Steve a couple times once his fever broke in the dramatic fashion it had done that night.

"I'm doing good, thank you for having the girls over today. After everything I think they all needed this, this is the first they've all been back together since that day." Madeline watched the girls playing, knowing it would be a long time before they had another campout, so this was a good distraction for the girls.

"Not a problem, I think I needed to see them all safe and together as much as they needed to be together." Steve replied as more squealing came from the water.

"Yeah, and you never got that chance to explain to them exactly how to field dress a wild boar." Madeline said with a smirk.

Laughing McGarrett replied, "No I didn't did I, but I think it's best to wait, I think today we should focus on fortifying sand castles against enemy attack." Madeline laughed a little harder.

"Don't laugh Madeline, he's not kidding" Danny dead-panned before bursting into laughter himself, grateful to have his friend on the mend and his daughter and her friends safe and sound.


End file.
